


Subtext by Elle Woods and Emmett Forrest

by Storm13



Category: Legally Blonde - All Media Types, Legally Blonde - Hach/O'Keefe/Benjamin
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2019-12-26 08:51:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18279815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storm13/pseuds/Storm13
Summary: Some pre-trial and post-trial feelings from Elle and Emmett. The missing scene that we were not given after the trial and some lovely subtext leading up to that.





	1. Post-Legally Blonde, Pre-Trial

        Emmett couldn’t sleep that night. Not after everything that had happened. His mind was a whirlwind of Callahan, him hitting on Elle, _her leaving_. She couldn’t leave, not now, not after everything they had been through…Right? Or maybe he was just, just making things up. But, he could've sworn that there was something there, something that he himself was not the only one feeling. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and shook his head slightly, running his hands through his hair as he stood and made his way into the kitchen. As he poured himself a glass of water from the tap, he looked over at the clock on the microwave, _3:04 a.m_. He knew he needed to try and sleep, but with everything flying through his head he knew it was a losing battle. He had to do something. Elle couldn’t leave. Their odds of winning the trial were already slim and without Elle it was impossible. He had been kicking himself all night that he hadn’t done more; that he hadn’t convinced her to stay. He leaned back against the counter as he sighed and took a sip of his water. He should’ve told her how he felt. Maybe then she would’ve stayed. He shook his head, ‘No, I can’t be just another guy that has feelings for her, I don’t want her thinking that I’m just like Callahan or Warner, that she was just a pretty face to me too.’ Those thoughts filled him with a red-hot rage that was very unlike him as he set down his glass; Elle was so much more than that. She was…she was, she was everything. She was determined and stubborn, never taking no for an answer. She was smart, and she kind and caring. She was soft but strong, and if she was the little miss Woods comma Elle that he knew she was, she couldn’t, wouldn’t let this hold her down. Especially when a former sorority sister’s life of innocence was on the line. Emmett made his way back to bed, looking over at his phone on the nightstand before grabbing it and typing out a text message before he laid down and turned off the light, hoping to get at least a few hours in before court in the morning, hoping that in the morning he would see that flash of blonde and bright pink that he had grown so fond of and so accustomed to seeing.

* * *

        It was very out of place when Vivienne’s phone chirped at approximately 3 a.m. but it was no real surprise she was still awake, with classes and Callahan’s internship and the Brooke trial, there was too much to do and too little time. She put down the case documents she had been scanning and picked up her phone. Even more surprising was that the text was from Emmett.

-'Need your help. Elle is trying to leave because of that jackass Callahan. He kissed her, and he fired her. She needs proof that she belongs. More than a man can give her right now. I need you to find her in the morning and convince her she is the key to winning this trial and that she deserves the spot she was given at Harvard. If she isn’t at her dorm, try the salon with Paulette, she won’t leave without saying goodbye to her.'

Viv had already known about Callahan and assumed that it was not consensual, but now this. While she had never been Elle’s number one fan, the lady clad in pink had grown on her over the course of the trial and her months at Harvard. Something rang in her ears, one of the first things Elle had said to her after she had gotten her kicked out of class that first day _“Us girls have to stick together”._ Vivienne knew what she had to do, setting her alarms for early the next morning (or more accurately, this current morning) and deciding to get ready to try and get some sleep to prepare for this long day ahead of her. 

* * *

 

        When Emmett got to court the next morning, he made sure he was there even before Callahan, demanding to talk to his client. When Brooke finally came out, he explained to her everything that had happened the day before with Callahan. “Oh, that’s just totally awful!” She said, shock and disgust very visibly written across her face. “I will not work with that man.” She hmphed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Where is Elle? I want her to be my representation.” Emmett sighed, “I’m not sure.” He told her, “She wanted to leave yesterday after what happened. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen to me.” Brooke reached up and gently cupped the man’s cheek, rubbing a thumb over his cheekbone to try and soothe and comfort, a small frown on her face to match Emmett’s own. She could tell how much the man was hurting and how much he cared for Elle. “She’ll come back. She has to. She wouldn’t let a sister down.” Brooke decided with a triumphant nod.

        It was at that moment that Callahan came in and approached the two, Brooke immediately standing up and in his face, “Mister you’re fired!” She announced, hoping and praying that Elle came back. She had to, right? Callahan was taken aback, “Excuse me?” He said, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose, “You can’t fire me, I’m the only chance you’ve got at not doing life in jail!” He protested. “Not anymore.” Brooke decided, crossing her arms and at that exact moment the court doors flung open and Vivienne was followed by a storm of pink.

        Elle marched right up to Brooke and hugged her as Brooke declared that Elle would be representing her. Callahan laughed, “She can’t represent you, she’s only a law student!” Well, cue Emmett to the rescue, as Elle finally focused on the tall, clean-cut man for the first time this morning as he explained to the judge that he would supervise. Her heart soared, because Emmett. It was always Emmett. When she was down and dejected, he was always there to pick her up. To support her. To believe in her. It was then that Elle started to realize just how much that man had come to mean to her in these past few months. He had just given up a guaranteed career for her. Now she had to win this case. For herself, and for Emmett. To prove to everyone that had put faith in her that it wasn't for nothing. When he came back over, her mind was already in a million difference places with this trial, and she could barely remember to thank him, when he leaned in and whispered, _“Did you really think I would let you get away?”_ Her heart stopped. Did that mean what she thought it did? Before she had time to process, the judge was banging her gavel and she was pulled out of her thoughts by, well, the trial. _‘Deep breath, Elle. You got this.'_   She told herself, before starting her questioning.


	2. Angsty Em

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heartbroken Emmett and a very confused Elle

        Elle was ecstatic when she finally solved the case and they announced Brooke’s freedom, a flash of cheers and hugs quickly following, from Brooke, Paulette and even her new _friend?_  Vivienne. But as she worked her way through the hugs, she soon realized the all too familiar arms she ran to jump into, wanting to snuggle up and just stay there, but all too soon he was pulling away ever so slightly and-and he was right there, inches from her face, she wanted to lean in and…but he gestured behind her, pulling away even further, “I think _someone_ needs to talk to you.” She turned, noting a possible bitterness maybe? Looking to see Warner waiting for her, before turning back to Emmett, he smiled softly, “It’s okay, I’m…I’m gonna see ya later.” She wanted to say no, beg him to stay and to finish what they almost started, but she also knew that she herself needed the closure of saying goodbye to Warner Huntington (the third). She had learned so much in her few months at Harvard, but maybe the most important things were not law, but what she learned about herself. She was so much better than Warner, than any guy, really. But she was glad to have followed him here, to learn her true strength. And to have followed her heart, even though it was not her intended target, he was _so much better._ She smiled at him as he turned, going to leave the courthouse.

* * *

        Watching her up there left Emmett without words. He almost teared up, because he had always _known_ she could do it. And here she was, proving yet again, just how amazing Elle Woods was. The fashion merchandising major from UCLA who, just a few months prior had been crying her eyes out as a playboy bunny on a bench and didn’t feel like she fit in. It was crazy to think of how all of that had led to this, this very moment of Elle proving herself to everyone in this courtroom. And hey! —he was just reminded he never got his sweatshirt back that night. Not that he really minded, she had looked so cute in it. And he kind of liked to imagine that she wore it when he wasn’t around, although he didn’t let himself think that for long, not wanting to get ahead of himself.

        He couldn’t contain his pride or excitement when they announced Brooke was clear, and he saw that blonde ball of pink run at him and jump into his arms. He held her close for just a second, breathing in the sweet smell of her perfume and her shampoo, reveling in just how _right_ it felt. He pulled back slightly, noticing how her large blue eyes stared into his, and god, he wanted to kiss her. Right here, right now, everyone else watching be damned. But then, he saw him over her shoulder. There was a pang of something in his chest, not sure how to feel as he pulled away gently, pointing him out to Elle. He watched as she looked back and forth between the two, then smiled at him, dismissing herself to go talk to him. Emmett wasn’t sure how to feel, truthfully. He had thought there was something between them, but who was he fooling. Elle was too good for him. Plus, she had come out here in the first place _for_ Warner. I mean, just look at him. The man could pass for a Greek God, and Emmett? He wore hand-me-downs from the thrift store. He spared one last glance back at the pair, watching as Warner dropped down on one knee, pulling out a small box and it felt like a punch to the gut. He turned around, pushing the doors open as he felt a bitter sting in his eyes, biting his cheek to try and keep the tears at bay.

        He had forgotten where he was for a second but was quickly reminded by the flood of reporters immediately in his face, shooting a million questions at him rapid-fire. He shook himself a bit, trying to give halfway decent answers to a few questions before he finally pushed through the crowd, making his way down to his car. He put the key in the ignition, turning his car on and gripping the steering wheel what was probably tighter than necessary. ‘ _Keep it together, Forest. You knew this was probably going to happen.’_ He tried to take deep breaths, but it didn’t much help. His whole body hurt. It had been a while since Emmett had experienced a true heartbreak, because he was just too busy and too poor to date, but man, he forgot how much this _hurt._

* * *

         He didn’t really remember driving back to his apartment, probably having dissociated on the route he had driven many a time. He sighed, putting his car in park and going back inside and up the stairs to his dreary apartment. When he unlocked the door and opened it, it seemed so much more empty than normal, knowing that it would probably never again be lit up by the bright and exuberant little miss Woods comma Elle. He plopped himself down on the couch after removing his suit jacket and hanging it carefully in the closet, because it was from Elle. And as much as it hurt, this suit probably cost more than all of his wardrobe combined, and he was not one to be blatantly disrespectful. Emmett laid himself down, stretching himself out as much as he could on his small couch, staring up at the ceiling, head on a small throw pillow that smelled oh so much like Elle it made him start to tear up again. Almost everything in this apartment reminded him of her and of all the time spent studying and helping her with her classes, it made his chest feel tight.

        Emmett lost track of how long it had been that he had just laid there, a few silent tears having slipped out here and there, when he was pulled out of his head by a few quick raps at the door, knowing those to be the knocks of the one person he just—couldn’t see right now. It made his stomach clench at the thought of Elle being outside his door, trying to stay quiet so maybe she wouldn’t know he was there. And again, came the knocks, he let out a quiet sigh as he heard her call out his name “Emmett? Emmett are you home?” He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing the girl wouldn’t give up until she found him. His point proven by his phone buzzing in his pocket, she was calling him. “Emmett, I saw your car downstairs, I know you’re in there, butthead!” She called again, maybe he could pretend to be asleep. Her voice was like sharp stabbing pains to his chest, and he held his breath, hoping she’d try somewhere else.

        Eventually he heard the soft click of her heels going down the hall as she retreated, and he let out the air he’d been holding in. He got up, going into his kitchen and pouring himself a glass of some cheap bourbon he had on hand, downing the first glass quickly and pouring a second. He took it into his bedroom as he decided to change into some more comfy clothes, sighing to himself as he went. He took his phone out of his pants pocket before he took them off, noting a voicemail and a few texts from Elle. He set the phone face down on the dresser, deciding to spare himself for now.

* * *

            Elle found it very odd when Emmett didn’t show up to any classes the next day, and she didn’t see him on campus at all. None of the professor’s he assisted with had seen him either. She had been trying to get a hold of him via text and call, but last night his calls just started going straight to voicemail, so she gave up. She hoped he was okay, this was very out of character for Emmett, he never ignored her. Maybe it was something she had done? Her mind tried to play back the events of the day before, but everything was a fast-paced blur. Especially because Brooke, Viv and Paulette had taken her out for drinks to celebrate and she had had probably one too many, but she couldn’t miss class, so she had pulled herself together. After her day was done, she decided to try Emmett’s apartment again. Elle needed to get to the bottom of this. Emmett was her best friend and it was killing her inside that she might’ve done something to hurt him. She also had needed to talk to him, after the way they left court, after what he said, his voice rung in her ears, _‘Did you really think I would let you get away?’_ That meant something, right? It had to.

        She sighed, bringing her hand up and gently knocking on the man’s door. Again, no answer. She tried again, louder and with a bit more force. Still, nothing. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. She looked around, reaching up above the door frame on her tiptoes and grabbing the spare key she knew Emmett kept up there for emergencies, bringing it down and twisting the key in the lock. When she pushed open the door, she noted the only light in the room was from the partially open blinds, slight late day sun slipping in. She looked around, spotting the man she had been looking for passed out on the couch, TV mumbling softly in the background. She noted the empty liquor bottle on his coffee table and empty glass in his arm that was hanging off the couch almost on the ground, and her eyebrows furled together.

           Elle walked over, squatting down next to the couch, taking a moment to admire how adorable Emmett looked when he slept. The sun shined slightly on his face, highlighting his cheekbones and she reached up, gently brushing her fingers over his cheek as she also made a mental note of how much younger the man looked as he slept. How much less stressed. He seemed relaxed, all the lines in his face slack with sleep. She took the glass out of his hand and set it on the table, before she gently shook the man. “Emmett. Em.” She whispered, trying to wake the man gently.

* * *

         Emmett didn’t really know what was going on, blinking his eyes open and trying to focus. His head was ringing, how much did he drink last night? _Too much._ His brain chimed in, plus, he didn’t have much food in his apartment, so he had had a PB&J for lunch and well, some almost stale potato chips for dinner. When his eyes finally focused on the women in front of him, he sat up quickly, “Elle!” came his sleepy, gravelly voice. “Good afternoon, sleepyhead.” She giggled, moving to sit next to him on the couch. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his foggy and pounding head, brushing his hand through his hair, god he probably looked awful. “How-how did you…?” She continued to beam at him and it made his stomach tighten, “Your spare key. You haven’t been answering my calls or texts. I was worried.” Her bright smile fell to a pout, and it was almost cuter to Emmett. “I…I’m sorry, I just, I haven’t been feeling well.” He said, looking away and noting the empty liquor bottle and wincing a bit. He hoped she would drop it. “Well, yeah, I can tell.” She said, picking up the bottle and walking into his kitchen to throw it away. Emmett stood, steadying himself for a moment, “Elle, I’m fine, just trying to sleep it off. I’m sure you have a lot of homework or something…” ‘ _Or a Warner to get back to.’_   His brain added for him. He felt like death and seeing this beautiful woman sweeping around his apartment was just a cruel reminder of what could have been but no longer would be.

        She turned, walking back over to Emmett, eyebrows knitted together, eyes full of confusion. “Did I say something? Or, was it something I did? Because if it was, I’m sorry!” Emmett felt a pain in his chest again, realizing how hurt the poor girl was. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, he had just been so hurt himself. He sighed, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment before opening them to look at her. “Elle, I just…” He wasn’t quite sure what to say honestly, “I thought you wanted me to stay, but now it feels like you’re just pushing me away.” She murmured, wrapping her arms around herself. He frowned, “I do, I meant that. I wanted you to stay so much. But, I just, I wanted you to stay with _me.”_ The last part was so quiet, she almost didn’t catch it. “And, I thought that maybe, you wanted that too, but…I saw Warner propose and…and…I just knew I could never measure up.” He couldn’t meet her eyes, instead picking at a hole on the hem of his old sleep shirt he was wearing, feeling the familiar burning sting in his eyes again but trying to blink it back.

        Elle was quiet for a moment as she processed everything and thought very carefully of her next words. She hadn’t known he had seen that and couldn’t imagine what the poor man was feeling. She gently tilted his face up to meet her eyes, giving him a soft smile. “Well if you had watched for a moment longer, you would’ve seen I turned him down.” She murmured, showing her empty left ring finger. Emmett let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding, a small smile breaking across his face to light up his features, “Really? Why? I thought…” She chuckled softly, “He’s not what I want anymore.” She finished her sentence by leaning in and ever so gently letting their lips meet. It was soft and sweet, but also so much more. There was so much behind it, so many feelings and emotions- for both of them. Emmett felt his heart soar, gently reaching up to cup her cheek as he kissed her back with so much passion and, well,  _love._ It was everything he had hoped it would be and more. He noted her arms sliding around his neck to pull herself closer and all too soon he broke away to remind himself to breath, but he stayed close, letting their foreheads touch. She smiled at him, "This is  _so much better."_ She giggled softly as Emmett nodded and hummed his soft agreement. As his post-kiss fog cleared, he suddenly realized how gross he felt, having not even brushed his teeth yet and he was sure he reeked of alcohol. "I should probably go take a shower." He murmured, although he didn't quite yet want to break away from the woman. "Can I watch?" She asked with a wink and a giggle. He rolled his eyes, smiling at her and kissing his forehead before he made his retreat into his bedroom to find a towel and new clothes. "I'm gonna order pizza!" She yelled to the man as she smiled, plopping down on his couch and starting to type on her phone to order the food.

        She decided she could get used to this, smile never leaving her face, even long after Emmett had returned and they were shoving pizza in their faces, curled up together on his couch, watching some rom-com on the TV she had picked out. She felt warm and content and this was more than Warner or anyone had ever or could ever give her. And she hoped the man knew that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I was kind of dragging my feet with this chapter but it is longer than the last one! I definitely got carried away a bit so lemme know whatcha think, I'd really appreciate it. I just kind of wanted an excuse to write angst-y Emmett. :) This might be the last chapter? I dunno, I didn't really have any intentions at first to write more than this, but now I think I'd like to. Let me know if anyone would like to see this story continued! <3

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a post-trial coda because in all the years I've loved Legally Blonde it has always frustrated me that they built up Elle and Emmett's relationship so much over the course of the plot and then they get nothing really. I felt so unsatisfied with just the proposal at the end. So I've always wanted to write this, so here it is. Although it blossomed into a lot more than just a post-trial thing, the after will come in chapter two, if anyone actually reads this and wants a chapter two. Please let me know! I haven't written in years, so I apologize if this isn't my best. Comments would be greatly appreciated!! <3


End file.
